


Winter Night In January

by queenoffruits



Category: Persona 3
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 21:51:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/142083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenoffruits/pseuds/queenoffruits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." -- Carl Jung</p><p>A relationship changes in the cold of January.</p><p>((Takes place in the P3P Female MC universe; in this fic, she is referred to by the name Minako.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Night In January

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SwordofRebecca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordofRebecca/gifts).



Thursday, 11/19/09. Godaigo Inn (Hotsprings). Evening. (5:30 PM)

 _It was like a dream_ , Kyoto was. At least, after Yukari had set Mitsuru back on the right path. Mitsuru lowered herself into the outdoor bath; the heat of water welled up in her ... thick, humid steam wafting like will o' wisps bound towards the stars of a midnight blue sky. She was waiting for Yukari; Mitsuru knew she'd join Yukari would join her soon ... after all, Yukari asked her to come in the first place. She recalled what Yukari said: 'I guess we should go take a bath together now. We have everything out in the open. There's nothing left for us to hide! ... H-Hey, stop blushing! I didn't mean it like that!''

Those words ... bothered her. 'Didn't mean it like that? ... Like what?' Mitsuru's faintly flustered wonderment inspired images, ideas: catholic schools and pleated skirts, girls lying beside one other in a bed of flowers ... skinship. Almost certainly, she must have blushed, but hot water dyed her wholeness a soft, flush pink, hiding her embarrassment and fluster in plain sight. Breathing deep that humid, steamy air and flushing out such ... queer thoughts, Mitsuru waded through the water, the slowed motions of her hips and thighs hung on to by viscous liquid, and with a swirl that swept up small waves, leaned back against the smooth, hot stone that grandly rested in the bath's center.

Closing her eyes, she sunk into hazy sensations of warmth and wet, white noise drowning the hems and haws of a mind uneasy with confusion, and anticipation. While she waited, she pondered whether this was one of the healing properties of a natural spring, and if so what a mysteriously unquantifiable thing this was.

Mitsuru's eyes fluttered open as a soft tingle trailed down her scalp and neck, tips of fingers touching skin through the hair they combed. Sitting on the stone Mitsuru was leaning back on, Yukari spoke up with a warm voice. "Sorry to keep you waiting, senpai."

"It's alright, Yukari. Please, don't mention it." Mitsuru's jumped shoulders relaxed again as Yukari continued to finger brush her dark red curls.

Yukari coiled a few curls around her index with a swirl of her finger. "... You really have great hair."

"I just follow my stylist's instructions." To the letter, as if they were the critically important advice of a doctor. But even as she politely dismissed Yukari's praise, Mitsuru's smile glowed.

As Yukari shifted, Shhh, the soft sound of smooth skin on sleak stone slipped ... Silenced ... And swapped with the trembling pulse of covered ears. Sitting on the rock above and behind Mitsuru, Yukari softly squeezed Mitsuru's head with her thighs. The red head's cheeks were caught between warm, silken skin; her shoulders were pulled firmly against stone by Yukari's calves, squeezing into the crook of her underarms.

Mitsuru's eyes snapped open, body tensing too much to pull away. "Yukari?!" With her ears clapped, Mitsuru's voice reverberated, muffled, to her ears, but Yukari could hear her clearly. She tussled Mitsuru's hair, tips lightly tickling the red head's scalp with playful affection that faintly swung the drawing of Mitsuru's breath ...

And then, as Yukari leaned forward to reach down, Mitsuru saw those delicate hands and each narrow finger bend as they dipped barely under the surface of hot water, cupping Mitsuru's breasts. Mitsuru's chest drew a deep breath, swelling into Yukari's touch. _''That wasn't how I meant it!'_ Wasn't  this that ?! That: skinship. This: skinship. Mitsuru's mind rushed, tumbling around ... Skinship. Skinship ...

Slowly, sliding fingers hotly swirled steaming water, sensations along Mitsuru's breasts smooth as soaked satin ... The heat in her chest rose, burning her cheeks. Finally, fluster unfroze her form tense as a statue, and exhaling she squirmed, surging forth, slipping out of Yukari's grasp, throwing a rising wave forward. Whipping the water in a whirl, she turned about and was met by a striking vision: Yukari, flush pink, smiling like the Cheshire.

Mitsuru's heart skipped ... pounded an off rhythm drum beat, 'Tha-thump, th-tha-thump ...'

 **Th-thud ...** Mitsuru ungracefully flopped on her floor in a heap of disheveled bed sheets. _Oh. So it wasn't **like** a dream. It **was** a dream._ And what a dream it was ... She hadn't the slightest what to make of it.

Sunday, 01/17/10. Dormitory (3rd Floor: Mitsuru's Room). Late Night (1:44 AM)

Mitsuru sat up on the floor, her body in a slight sweat that clung her skin flush to her pajamas. There was a squeezed feeling inside her chest, as if something foreign had crowded its way in and cramped her heart against the walls. She took a deep breath; her tension subsided a bit, as if the simple act of breathing could transmute this unknown feeling into air and just ... expel it. She repeated the deep breaths a few more times, but the relief seemed to have diminishing returns. Her eyes cast down and to the side, staring at nothing in particular.

"A wet dream ... ? With ... Yukari at that." It was ... unlike Mitsuru. She was unlike herself in the dream. Yukari was unlike herself in the dream. Did that make it better, or worse? Dreams were a reflection of one's inner thoughts, if not desires or fears. ... Did that mean she wanted Yukari to -- She cleared her throat, as if the action could clear her mind. She sighed. If so, how long had she harbored such a desire? Perhaps this was just her mind reveling in a bit of freedom at cutting ties with her louse of a fiance. All the answers were as solid as the steam in her dream.

What a start to the day, at that. The second day of the National Admissions Test for colleges would begin in the late morning. On principle, her sleep at such an important time in her life was precious ... but only on principle; in reality the exam was a trial in which she had the utmost confidence.

Sitting on the floor a while longer, mind at a loss over the questions bubbling to the surface, she couldn't help but dwell on her wet dream; without really thinking about it, her thighs squeezed against one another and squirmed, her warm, damp petals faintly grinding together at the motion --

\-- She clamped her thighs shut against one another, ceasing that motion. This was her friend, there were .. that was their relationship, and it came with boundaries. "What's gotten into me?" What indeed. Mitsuru was a chemical, the dream a catalyst, and this was Mitsuru's reaction; whatever the change was, she didn't know, but there was the undeniable sense that she had reacted to the dream, that something had changed, transformed inside of her.

For better or for worse, it was as if the lense through which she saw the world, or maybe just Yukari, had tinted. As she climbed back into bed, pulling her covers up and over herself again, a part of her hoped to return to that pleasant, vexing, wet dream.

***

Sunday, 01/17/10. Dormitory (1st Floor Lounge). Late Night (1:24 AM)

This dorm needed cable, or ... something. That was certainly the opinion of the genius leader of S.E.E.S. -- correction, of the 'Nyx Annihilation Team.' Minako stared at the TV screen, bored, as she flipped channels. Normally she wouldn't even be up, but she was having trouble sleeping tonight, and, being the wee small hours of Sunday, she didn't have any plans except to sleep in and check up on Akinari at the shrine.

Her late night, sleepless, escapade through TV land was leading to the conclusion that there was _nothing_ good on TV after the Dark Hour ended. Even the infomercials were bad. At least Tanaka sold surprisingly useful junk. But these infomercials? Well, Minako didn't harbor any sort of seething hatred for inadequate detergent. ... Though, that 2-in-1 hair brush and curler was kind of awesome seeming ...

With a press of the button, the TV flicked off. As far as Minako knew, no one had come to the dorms to uninstall the camera system yet ... Maybe the command room console had some, 'Reality TV' for her. Three flights of stairs later, Minako was glancing over that bank of monitors. Indeed, it was still operable.

Fuuka: Sleeping.

Akihiko: Sleeping.

Aigis: ... that thing Aigis does that may or may not be sleeping.

Ken: Sleeping.

Junpei: Flopping about like a fish out of water, but sleeping. Mildly amusing.

Well, no surprise. It was nearly 2AM; what else would anyone be doing? Just as Minako was reaching out to rewind and look for something good, Mitsuru rolled right out of bed and onto the floor.

Yeah, of course Minako was _a little_ concerned for her, but Mitsuru was tough enough and this was _real life slapstick._ She switched Mitsuru to the main screen and turned the sound on.

Mitsuru sat up in almost total silence, the only sound her deep breaths. Minako's concern for her swelled (Mitsuru had the National Admissions Test tomorrow, even ... ), but Mitsuru's first words blew those concerns all away: "A wet dream ... ?"

' _Ooh?_ ' Risque~ Finally, something interesting.

"With ... Yukari at that."

' _Whaaat? **Wooow.**_ ' Minako wasn't exactly shocked. Mitsuru and Yukari had become ... _very_ close, but she didn't exactly see this coming either. ... The stumbled on secret was something to contemplate and break up her boredom. ' _There's no way they're an item or anything though ..._ ' If they were, it was a very well kept secret; until recently Mitsuru had a fiance, and she herself had said that she didn't have any time for a relationship ...

Even so, _just to be certain_ , the little voyeur rewound through tapes, looking for any signs or evidence of a secret, sordid relationship. ... ... ... A fair deal later, she was finally yawning, and having not found any evidence of a romance or affair, she concluded Yukari was just Mitsuru's secret crush. Unless Mitsuru was paying for love hotels, but she didn't think that was likely. ... Entertaining those thoughts, Minako lumbered off to dreamland.

***

Sunday, 01/17/10. Dormitory (1st Floor Lounge). Evening (5:15 PM)

"Hey, senpai." Junpei leanned forward in his seat, looking to Akihiko just across the coffee table. "I was thinking, you ever done it?" He spoke quietly, extra emphasis on the last syllable.

Akihiko tilted down his newspaper to look Junpei in the eye, his brows arched down and wrinkled irritably, as if to silently say, 'What?' or 'Did you just ask that?'

"Well, y'know," Junpei started backpedaling, "It's almost the promised day and I've never, well, and I was thinking that was kind of ..." Unfortunate? Sad? Regretful? Junpei's voice trailed off into nothingness, which didn't take too much change in volume, since he was speaking quietly in the first place.

... Or so he thought. "You know, we can hear you, right?" Yukari said, her disdain punctuated with the knock of her mug on the wooden dining table.

Junpei was pulled taut by surprise. "Uhh, um ... Ha, haha ..." No? No, he didn't. "Oh come on, we've been battling monsters, we're gonna save the world, and there's so much we haven't been able to do! You gotta admit, being heroes hasn't been all it's cracked up to be."

That did sound kind of lame to Yukari ... even in the context of being a bunch of virgins, after all, being a teenager, she had hormones too, so a part of did agree. But she wouldn't give Junpei the satisfaction of knowing that! "There's a kid in the room, you know."

"I'd really you rather not bring me into this, if that's alright." As if it would help him stay uninvolved, Ken tried not to look at everyone else as he poured his coffee.

"I do not understand the topic of conversation. What is the cause of this commotion?" Aigis stared flatly, waiting for an answer.

"And now we're confusing Aigis." Yukari said, glancing away from the android. She sort of wanted to call not it if this was going to lead to 'the birds and the bees.'

The room was quiet as Aigis gazed questioningly until barking ensued. " ... I see. You are referring to pro-creation."

That a lot of looks from the people in the room. Sometimes it shocked everyone just how intelligent Koromaru really was. Alternatively one could take it as a statement upon how base sex really was. Take your pick.

It wasn't much later after that when Minako walked in, arms full bags from the pharmacy. Cue greetings all around. "I stocked up on supplies. We're going to Tartarus tonight. Everyone can come, right?" She asked, turning to Fuuka.

"Yes, Akihiko and Mitsuru-senpai told me that even though they had the exams today, they'll come to Tartarus tonight," Fuuka informed Minako, her voice neutrally cheerful but her eyes with a hint of biased admiration. "They're working very hard."

"Man, last month I was **almost** relieved to have finals," Junpei piped in. " **Almost.** It sure did distract me from thinking about Nyx a little ... " It was the most Junpei had ever grinned while talking about exams, but his shoulders wilted as Yukari piped in ..

"Not that anyone would ever know you were focusing on tests, considering your score. _Next time_ , why don't you focus on it less and _actually study?_ "

Through his cap, Junpei scratched the back of his head. "Aww, why do you gotta bring my score up?" Before anyone could make a smart-ass comment like, 'Your score being up would be in an improvement,' Junpei picked his shoulders back up, shrugged, and grinned like a goofy cartoon devil. " ... I'll do that next time. Because _there's gonna be a next time._ "

Aigis, Fuuka, Minako, Yukari, Ken, (even Koromaru with a bark!) everyone in the lounge had to agree with that! Yes, the _had_ to agree with it. In truth, to an extent was fronting, steeling themselves against doubt, against the unknown; no one, after all, knew whether Nyx really could be defeated or not. What they did know was that they had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, if they could win, and to that end they all worked hard to maintain their morale, which without such co-operative maintenance might end up sinking into despair.

Outside, a ways down the hill, walking up back to the dorm, Mitsuru and Akihiko were on their way up to the dorm. For Mitsuru, the long day of exams had been an excellent distraction from that steamy dream that was rather vividly memorable; her composure was steady, though in her headspace that dream was proverbial elephant in the room; ignorable, but impossible to go unnoticed.

Talking with Akihiko helped to distract as well, though. They had been discussing the examinations, despite that 'their test scores were officially null and void should they discuss the National Admissions Test outside the testing site.' As if that was enforceable ...

"But yeah, I think it was good that we had the exam now, of all times. It really forced me to think about the future." Akihiko said, and, with a pump of his fist, added, "I'm not gonna let Nyx stand in my way."

Mitsuru hugged a tall, narrow gift box in her arms, smiling warmly at Akihko's bold declaration. That was the spirit everyone needed right now. "I agree. We have to look forward." She cast her eyes up the hill to the shrine as it came into view. "Future consultations are soon, so I'm certain the others will find their resolves strengthed as well."

"That is this time of year, isn't it?" Akihiko mused aloud. Leave it to Mitsuru to be aware of everything going on at Gekkoukan High.

"Akihko," Mitsuru glanced to her companion as she prepared to change the subject. "Do you mind if we brief stop at the shrine?"

Akihiko met her gaze for a moment, then turned away, his present voice and demeanor one of a carefree man with more than enough time, despite the morbid deadline in their futures. "No problem."

When they reached the shrine, Akihiko latched right onto the chin-up bar and went right to work while Mitsuru approached the offertory box. She set the narrow gift box on the ground beside her before producing a few coins and dropping them in. She clapped her hands. ' _Father ... Once again, I truly hope you don't mind that I haven't kept an altar to you in my room. Even now, perhaps the thought of staring at an altar is too much to bear. I ask your forgiveness in this negligence of my duties._ '

Her eyes closed, Mitsuru continued. ' _Thank you for your gift, Father. Before you died, I never realized how far in advance you prepared such things as gifts or cards ... in retrospect, it doesn't surprise me. You were always well prepared. I have yet to open this gift or read the card, but I'm confident that it's your way of saying you're proud that I've made it through the National Entrance Tests. Thank you very much, though it still stings sometimes when I think about you, these forms of thoughtfulness are comforting as well._ '

' _To be honest, marriage and romance have been on my mind as of late. It occurred to me recently that I wish I had been able to ask you more about your relationship with my mother before tragedy struck._ ' Her brows furrowed as, for a moment, she hesitated to continue. Her wet dream had unburied questions about her sexuality; She was always aware that gender didn't play much in attraction for her, but how to cope with attraction to anyone in any manner besides repression was a mystery to Mitsuru. Even though she was confident her father would always _accept_ her, Mitsuru never would know whether he would have _approved_ of such things as bisexuality. ... She skipped that topic; perhaps it was a discussion for another time, if it ever really became a significant part of her life.

Besides, there were other things she **had** to tell him. ' _I must apologize; I broke off the engagement you arranged for me. I understand that it was important for the Kirijo Group's future well being, but, admittedly in a hasty and passionate manner, I dissolved the relationship.' Her face was stiff, clapped hands pressing harder together as she recalled the way her former fiance had insulted her Minako. ' _He did not respect my friends, he did not respect me, and I would never want the Kirijo Group to be tainted by the presence of such a man. I'm confident that had he ever shown you his true colors, you would agree with my assessment._ '_

' _Know that though this makes things more difficult for the Kirijo Group, I am striving to do things the right way, no matter how difficult that way is._ ' She paused and took a deep, breath. ' _Finally, the last battle is approaching. I will see this through to the end. Please watch over us, Father. We're going to make you proud._ '

Finished, Mitsuru picked up her gift and turned around. Akihiko did a few more pull up as she began to leave the shrine, dropping down to join her and cool down along the rest of the walk.

As the two seniors opened the dorm's front doors, Fuuka was the first to look up and say, "Welcome back." She paused for but a moment. "We'll be going to Tartarus tonight."

Akihiko gave a sharp, approving nod. "I'll be ready."

Mitsuru give a more softer bob of her head, satisfied with the decision. "Thank you," for telling us.

Junpei blinked once, twice at the narrow gift box in Mitsuru's arms. "Heyyy senpai, what's with the present?"

"Oh, this?" Mitsuru smiled bittersweetly, thoughts of her departed father's care filling her mind again. "It's something my father prepared in advance for me." Nothing killed a room quiet like a recent death. "Oh, please. Don't be concerned. ... It makes me happy."

It was as if the spirit of dead cast hesitation on them, quelling any requests to pry into the messages of the departed. The quite continued a moment longer before Yukari spoke up with a change of subjects. "So, how were the tests?"

As Mitsuru's focus fell upon Yukari, a reaction stirred in her. The catalyst (Yukari) seemed still able to change the chemical (Mitsuru). But the reaction was deep seeded, on the surface showing only as a slight blush and picture still smile.

Akihiko answered first. "Hard. Make sure you're prepared." Mitsuru nodded in agreement.

To Mitsuru, Yukari's brightness shined. "Well, you go take a rest the so that tonight we can go get'em." The whole room agreed! "If there's anything you need, just holler okay?" While Yukari spoke to both Akihiko _and_ Mitsuru, her attention seemed more on slightly flushed close friend.

"Will do." Akihiko said as he started for up the stairs.

"Thank you. I'm fine though." She excused herself, smiling stiffly, but sincerely, and began to make her own way up the dormitory stairs ... contemplating whether a bath would calm her nerves.

***

Sunday, 01/17/10. Tartarus: Block 6. The Dark Hour

"Oh, that's right!" Minako clapped her hands together as she 'remembered' something though whether this was sincere and genuine or a strangely conceived plan was anyone's guess. "Everyone needs to change."

Their leader had the strangest hobbies; it was a wonder that they always put on whatever she gave them, but they always won, and who could argue with those kinds of results? ... Don't fix what isn't broken.

... How many times had this happened, anyway? It was really sad that among the present (Koromaru, Aigis and Yukari) not a single one could remember the number. And Aigis was an android. To be fair, though, she had something of a human mind.

Koromaru panted dispassionately. He didn't really seem to mind. Yukari was mostly over it, but still a bit exasperated. "What is it this time?"

"For you, a classic," Minako answered, beaming as she produced several costumes from ... where did she keep all this stuff anyway?

Yukari stared, eyelids half lowered. "Not this one again. ... I hoped you lost it. Alright, fine ... it's not as if I get to wear things like this any other time." Deep down, Minako knew Yukari liked it. She'd seen the recording of her in her maid outfit after all.

Koromaru idly walked in circles, lackadaisically pursuing his own tail, perhaps. Aigis dictated: "Koromaru says, 'Whatever makes you happy.' "

Minako passed the costumes to each, holding onto Koromaru's and her own. "Alright, we'll dress Koromaru first, then he'll stand watch as we all change."

" ... Alright, but ..." Yukari leaned in a bit to speak quietly, "Can't you and I just switch?"

"No can do." Minako said smugly. After all, the little minx wanted to see if Mitsuru would react to Yukari in ... _that._

And the reaction waiting at the end of her their arduous battles was subtle, but so worth it to Minako. Returning to the first floor in her maid outfit, Minako was followed by Aigis in her blue dress, Koromaru in his doggie tuxedo, and Yukari in the flashy, skimpy red and silver of the **battle panties.**

After a surprised, brief flutter of eyelashes, Mitsuru, as quietly as she could, cleared her throat and averted her gaze, blushing a bit. Her gaze flitted back from time to time.

There was a time when Junpei might have made some stupid comment about the outfits (especially the skimpier ones). That time, however, was at least four months past now. This eccentricity of Minako was one that was, more or less, accepted. The fact that Mitsuru was acting less than accustomed to the sight was surely what caught Aigis' attention. "Mitsuru-senpai, your vital signs are fluctuating. Are you alright?"

'Yes,' Mitsuru tried to answer, but the word caught, and she had to clear her throat again before it could come. "Yes." It met a variety of reactions. Junpei appeared to (more or less) take Mitsuru's words at face value, Ken wasn't going to pry, Aigis and Fuuka were perplexed as the evidence seemed to the contrary, Akihiko quietly cast a momentary glance with a faintly raised eyebrow, Minako stifled a snicker ...

... Yukari just felt weird. It wasn't as if this was the first time Mitsuru had seen her in this get up, and yet Yukari was getting an odd reading from Mitsuru, whom she really did find easy to read once she got to know her so well. But like pinging of a submarine's sonar. she only knew something was there; whatever it was still remained a mystery to her.

Serving both practicality _and_ interest, Mitsuru looked at their leader unerringly. "Are we going to continue?" It wasn't a pointed question; to the contrary, it was soft, gently delivering a implied message of 'don't over exert yourself.' In Tartarus, Minako was in the position that worked hardest.

And, knowing Mitsuru was right, Minako let go of her teasing fun in the important interest of getting back to work. "Ken, switch places with Yukari."

Yukari grimaced. Whenever Minako did this she always ran off before giving anyone back their normal clothes. Deep down she had fun with the costumes, but that still left her conflicted regarding them. "Whatever you say."

Ken picked up his spear. "Okay! I'll do my best."

Minako stared into space for a moment before declaring, "Aigis, you're still in."

"Understood." Aigis responded with a smile.

Finally, stepping towards and squatting next to the 1st floor's teleporter, Minako patted her lap. "Koromaru! Here boy!" Ready for another round, the tuxedoed dog scurried over, and the team was off.

With Minako gone, Junpei spoke up with a grin. "I know it's embarrassing now, but I'll bet you that when this is all over we'll be looking back on all these costumes and scrub brushes and bones and plush toy boxing gloves, and we'll be laughing."

Yukari joined in. "You know, I never thought about it this way before, but maybe all this time she's just trying to lighten the mood, raise our spirits." RIght now it was certainly raising Mitsuru's blood pressure, if only slightly. Yukari glanced to the side as she started to gripe a little, "I do appreciate it but I wish left me a sweater, at least. We may be inside, but it's still a Winter night." It wasn't so bad when she was fighting through the upper floors of Tartarus; the physical exercise kept her warm, but she needed to rest after all that exertion, and resting was drafty in this.

Reaching an arm out from Juno's windows, Fuuka presented her Gekkoukan High blazer. "It's warm enough inside Juno, so please."

"Thanks," Yukari said as she stepped forward and donned the blazer. Now she was just roughly half naked. It did help though.

For a little while, the room was quiet, save for Fuuka's reports, but breaking the silence, Junpei looked over to Akihiko, smile twisted awkwardly. "So, it turns out you and Ken were totally right. I'll never have that much sugar that late again. I had this weird nightmare."

Akihiko wasn't a bastion of sympathy. "Well, at least you learned your lesson."

"Do we even want to know?" Yukari teased.

"Well, looking back, it is pretty funny." Junpei said, chin up. He laughed a little bit. "So I was fish. Like, I was me, or I was my head. Just imagine a fish body with my head on it; that's what I mean. And I was looking for my hat," Junpei grabbed the brim of his cap to illustrate. "I must've lost it or something. And after searching and searching, I finally looked up, and there it was, bobbing in the water. So I zoomed up to get it. WIth my mouth, since I didn't have hands or anything. And then, 'Ahh!' I got stuck on a fish hook and pulled out of water, flapping around on the deck of a boat. It sucked." His eyes seemed so serious as he discussed his dreamland predicament, and then flipped back to smiling. "But looking back it's one of the funnier dreams I can remember having."

Akihiko stayed serious. "I hope you're not _already_ reconsidering your resolution to _not_ repeat this."

Junpei gave an exaggerated shake of his head. "Oh no, man, it's funny now, but at the time it was awful. They turned me into sushi and everything. Sooo, did you guys have any dreams last night?"

Yukari thought for a second. "Hmm. Not that I remember."

"Same here." Akihiko said, shaking his head briefly.

"No." Mitsuru lied, her cheeks feeling warm. Remembering last night's dream, her eyes, of their own accord, wanted to keep stealing glances at the girl's bare legs, an act that confused and vexed her. It was as if they were betraying her.

It didn't help that Mitsuru felt her stomach shift inside her uncomfortably as Yukari gave her the faintest perplexed glance. "Senpai, you're blushing again. You're not coming down with something are you?"

Mitsuru herself was almost ready to start wondering if something was wrong with her. "I don't think so." ? She took a step back, but didn't retreat any further as Yukari stepped in close.

"Let me check your temperature." Yukari said, bringing her hand to Mitsuru's forehead.

" ... This is hardly an accurate method." Mitsuru said in mild protest, her chest squeezing tight on itself, a mild tension building, holding her in place.

"Maybe, but just let me." Yukari dismissed the protests, bringing her palm to Mitsuru's head.

As she felt Yukari's touch, Mitsuru closed her eyes, shutting out context; it didn't help the tenseness much.

Mitsuru's eyes stayed closed as Yukari's hand pulled away. Yukari touched her own forehead. "You're a little warm, I think, but you seem fine."

"Well, thank you for your concern." Mitsuru said, finally stepping back.

Suddenly, sitting in Juno, Fuuka's shoulders jumped. "Oh no! I sense Death! Everyone, run!" No matter how many times they'd heard Fuuka say that, it always caught everyone's attention.

On the first floor, only Mitsuru and Fuuka could sense Minako's response. "No. If we're going to beat Nyx, we can't run away." Their leader was cool headed in the field as always ...

"... Understood." Fuuka closed her eyes to concentrate strongly. "I'll support you as best as I can."

From that point on, the first floor silently hung on every thing Fuuka said, until she said, "You did it! You defeated Death!" And everyone cheered. With the champions limping back triumphant, that high note was a wrap for the night.

***

Monday, 01/18/10. Gekkokan High: 2nd Floor (Class Room Hall). Lunch. (11:55 AM)

Minako, the little matchmaking minx that she was, daydreamed a haphazard little plan during class: girl talk at lunch with Yukari and Mitsuru. It was for their good! ... And her amusement. It had occurred to her that _perhaps_ her meddling wasn't for the best, but Minako knew Mitsuru and Yukari well, and had confidence that the worst case scenario couldn't be all that bad (And that the best case scenario was really good!).

It wasn't hard at all for Minako to finagle a little three way rooftop rendezvous over lunch break. She rounded up the girls on the fly, bought some bread in the lobby, and shuffled up to their own corner of the roof tops, where they (all lined up from left to right, Minako, Mitsuru, Yukari), began chit chatting away.

Yukari smiled lightly, looking out over the city beyond the guard rail. "So, was there something on your mind, Minako?"

Minako swallowed a bite of her bread. "No, not really. I just thought this would be fun to do for a change."

Mitsuru dabbed a napkin against her lips before speaking. "Well, thank you. It certainly is a nice change of pace."

Minako smiled wider for a moment, as if to say, 'You're welcome,' and then bumped shoulders with Mitsuru. "So, some time has passed." Mitsuru and Yukari both looked over to Minako. "You feeling more single yet, Mitsuru?"

With the dream over a day away now, Mitsuru was closer to her collected self. The question, however, uprighted her posture. After all, it tacitly insinuated she wasn't single until recently. To think, Minako would bring it up so openly ... ! ... Mitsuru didn't mind, though. " ... To be honest, I'm not sure." She spoke honestly, her mood still light.

Yukari's lashes flickered in a sudden flutter of blinks. "Woah, back up. You were seeing someone?"

And Yukari's questions was met with Mitsuru's chuckling. "I wouldn't say so, no. We didn't see very much of each other. It an arranged marriage, a practical alliance between financial groups, but I dissolved the relationship recently. Don't think too much about it; that it's in the past now, and that I never saw fit to mention it, illustrates its importance well."

Yukari nodded, soaking in Mitsuru's explanation. 'Illustrates its importance well' ... well then, that was to say, 'not very important at all, at least not now.' Still, while it made sense it surprised Yukari to know.

Minako, grinning, pressed the issue. "Well, now that you're single, is there anyone you like?"

Such a direct line of questioning inwardly jostled Mitsuru, who couldn't help but wonder. Though she exercised control and did **not** look her way, Mitsuru's attention, of its own accord, shifted towards Yukari. She really wasn't sure if there was someone she liked in the sense Minako meant, but in the short moment before speaking she wondered if she did, or if she could, think of Yukari that way. But before it could appear she was contemplating the matter too much, she deflected the question. "Even if there was, I don't have free time for a significant other."

" ... I don't know, I bet that if there was someone, you'd _find_ the time for them." Yukari mused. "You have time for us, after all."

Mitsuru's smile grew and glowed as she spoke her mind. "My free time is limited. I'd rather spend it with you."

"Here here. When you've got good friends, what else matters?" Yukari asked, and took a chomp out of her school bread.

"What about you, Yukari? There anyone you're interested in?" Minako asked, leaning forward on the guard rail to look at Yukari, standing on the other side of Mitsuru.

Mitsuru glanced to Yukari as well, a part of her curious over the answer. Yukari swallowed and answered plainly. "Not really." Mitsuru's smile waned, but she didn't frown. Looking away, the red head looked over the city now, mind turning around those short words. She didn't expect Yukari to say yes, but some part of her buzzed about, wondering whether the answer was honest.

Minako cocked her head and smirked. " 'Not really' ? So ... kinda sorta?"

Yukari laughed. "Hey! Don't put words in my mouth." Her chortling subsided. "What about you?" She said, looking to Minako.

Their leader uprighted herself and looked into the white fluff and the blue skies. "Hmmm ... I wonder ... " She spoke, in an exaggerated tone.

"What kind of answer is that?" Yukari asked through more giggling.

"I agree. You shouldn't ask such questions if you're going to dodge them when the tables are turned." Mitsuru said, looking self satisfied. ... This was oddly fun.

"Okay okay, huddle." Minako said, putting her arms about. The three girls, arms over one another, listened closely as Minako whispered.

"What? Seriously?" Minako's short little confession left Yukari shocked.

Mitsuru was likewise surprised. "I had no idea ... "

"Just don't tell anyone. It's a bit of a secret." Minako winked to her friends.

"Of course." MItsuru nodded, understandingly.

"No problem." Yukari said, eyes still a touch wider with bewilderment.

The girls grinned warmly in their huddle. For Mitsuru, it was a especially warm feeling, and somehow it was so much so that it made her blush, which Yukari pointed out with airy laughter; it was a little embarrassing, but Yukari's chortling breath only fanned those warm flames higher. For Mitsuru, it was a welcome, warm and friendly feeling that was so nuturing it could hatch an egg.

***

In spite of the warmth shared in that moment, the next tens days in the SEES dormatory were a little odd at times. Mitsuru's peculiar behavior in Tartarus just the other night made Yukari observant of the nuances of Mitsuru's behavior. Even months after she first met Mitsuru, Yukari never thought Mitsuru would be such an easy person to read, but once you knew her well it was actually pretty easy.

Mitsuru was mostly her normal self. but it was the little things. She seemed a bit more warm, or a little more flustered, and occassionally she'd get just a little red, but it was always around Yukari herself. She just had a feeling it was to do with her, after all, she would come down stairs to the lounge and Mitsuru would be talking with, say, Akihiko, but once Mitsuru noticed Yukari she'd smile, and that smile was different somehow. She couldn't quite come to this conclusion, but deep down she felt there was almost something almost coquettish in that smile's enamel. It was weird, but welcome, she supposed.

That wasn't the only time it happened, either; no, it happened several times over the course of the week. If they passed in the halls of the school, or the stairs of the dorm, it happened then too, and she wouldn't have thought anything of it except that smile stood out and it always happened, like there was solid cause and effect.

But when it was just the two of them spending time together (and that situation kept popping up, because Minako secretly tried her damnedest to set that up), like when they were the lounge on their own, or on their way to school together, Mitsuru seemed more guarded somehow. When it was just the two of them really talking, Mitsuru's gestures or words sometimes seemed just barely delayed, as if they soaked through a filter before reaching Yukari. Which bothered Yukari a little; filters and guards, it was as if she was hiding something. They shouldn't have had to hide anything from each other. In Yukari's mind, that was a clear truth. Still, she didn't let it get to her too much. Yukari would just keep an eye on her friend in case she decided Mitsuru needed a helpful intervention.

All in all, though this wasn't the most appropriate term, it was as if Mitsuru was really, **really** minorly bi-polar in tiny ways, and that didn't make any sense to Yukari. It was totally weird! Every once in a while her thoughts just _meandered back_ to wonder what was going on in Mitsuru's head; Yukari could read Mitsuru well enough to recognize _something_ was different. Just not to well enough to identify it. She wouldn't normally even think about this much, but this was Mitsuru, one of her best friends, so it just kept coming up in her mind time after time.

But there were plenty of other things to think about in late January. Tension and morale were high. Nyx was always on everyone's mind; Stega was a common topic of conversation, too. As if that wasn't enough, what a time it was to have future consoltations of all things. But Chidori's mysterious revival was always a miraculous thing to focus on.

The final battle was almost upon them. Tensions were always high. They just piled confidence and determination on the surface, trying to bury it.

***

???, ???/???/09. Locaiton: ???. Late Night? The Dark Hour?

After he did what he had to do, there wasn't much time left. There was so much to say, but so little time. Yukari's dad, Eiichiro Takeba, stood before a video camera. He had no idea who the message would reach, if anyone, but, in that the recepient was a mystery, it was almost like a confessional.

His head, his chin, it was all heavy. He drooped under the weight; it was the sad sight of a man who wanted to do more than he could. ... On death's door, it was hard feel otherwise. "My employer has become obsessed with a loathesome idea." Eiichiro's voice struggled over the sounds of hysteria and panic locked just outside the room. He explained, he pleaded. "I wasn't able to stop this madness ... He won't listen, no matter what I say ... He's under the devil's spell ... Now the Shadows are trying to eat one another ... But if they're reunited, we are all doomed!"

His face froze, even as his voice continued. A stilled monochrome laid over a despaired voice. "Yukari ... I want you to know ... Daddy was the happiest man on earth when he was with you. ... I love you, Yukari. Please take care of yourself ... "

An explosive burst! In agonizing slowness, the moment stretched. Everything burned in mad, meaningless fire. A shriek consumed with agony mixed with the image and sound of static. It was Eiichiro's ... And Yukari's.

Tuesday, 01/27/10. Dormitory (3rd Floor: Yukari's Room). Late Night (11:49 PM)

Yukari yelped as she sprung up from under her sheets. "Dad!?" Eyes wide, Yukari breathed fast and heavy. With tense focus, she forced herself to breath slower, gradually. A nightmare ... she wished it was just a nightmare, but that was real. It was a memory, her it was her daddy's last words.

She wasn't steady feeling, but as the panic subsided, closed her widened eyes -- Behind closed eyes, still burned in memory, she could see him: her dad looked so sad. She winced with hissing breath. After hugging the sheets to herself for a three or four minutes that felt like ten, her eyes darted to the clock. LED lights lit up with 11:49. It may have been a school night, but it wasn't that late. They stayed up much later for the Dark Hour on a regular basis. She laid down, pulling covers up over her head, burying herself under stuffy down and cotton. With her eyes open under the sheets, she saw blackness, but when she closed them to try and sleep, she saw her dad. She stayed like this for what seemed to her perhaps fifteen, twenty minutes, but when surfaced from under her covers, breathing in cool air, the LED lit 11:55.

Her fingers gripped into their opposite upper arm. Yukari didn't want to be alone right now; by herself, the nightmare sat inside, gnawing around the edges of her heart. In nothing but a pink nightie, she crept over to her door, opening it a crack and peeking out. The third floor hall was, of course, empty. She stepped into the silent hall, moving toward's Mitsuru's door. She didn't want to be a bother or a burden, but to be alone right now was worse to her. And she could count on Mitsuru to be there for her, in that she had faith.

She knocked on the door. "Senpai?" Her voice was too quiet to carry through the barrier. There was no response. The darkness, the silence, the chill of the empty hall made Yukari shrivel. She didn't wait long before knocking again, louder.

This time there was answer. " ... I'm coming ... " The voice, dulled by the door, was a little gravelly with the groginess of an unexpected awakening. A moment later, the door opened before Yukari, at first just enough for Mitsuru to peer through. Her voice was quickly sobering up. "Yukari?" Her posture took a small angle back, jostling her unkempt bed head; locks curled upward in places..

Yukari giggled weakly at the sight. The closest she'd ever been to seeing MItsuru's hair messy before now was in the disheaveled aftermath of a fight. Without the fading of adrenaline, it was a lot cuter and amusing. But that smile was transient. Face tense, brows knitted, she glanced aside, unable to meet Mitsuru's (still sleepy) questioning gaze. "Sorry to wake you up ... "

Yukari's transparent tension was contagious. Searching her expression for a sign, Mitsuru's stared at Yukari with worry over the unknown problem that brought the girl here in the middle of the night. "No, it's fine. ... Did something happen?"

Yukari glanced up at Mitsuru as she spoke, speaking quickly. "I had a bad dream." Her eyes darted to the floor down the hall as she paused, then back to Mitsuru as she started again. "Can I come in?"

Mitsuru nodded, three times even. "Please." She opened the door all the way and flipped her lightswitch. She thought the light might be comforting. With the light casting out darkness, Mitsuru's black pajamas stood out, and the lounge like room became even more inviting. ' _A bad dream, hm ... ?_ ' "Do you want to talk about it?"

" **No ...** " Yukari said plainly, but with an over tone of tense apology. "I'd rather talk about _anything_ else." She said, shutting the door behind her. The door clicked shut, secure.

Mitsuru picked up a hair brush and sat on one of her couches, of which she did have more than one. Her maids were so silly to have furnished her room to excess ... "Your hair's a mess; come here, I'll brush it."

"You're one to talk, senpai." Teasing Mitsuru brushed away Yukari's pained expression. The shadows of her nightmare seemed all but left back in the hall. Mitsuru blinked as she stared at herself in her vanity; Yukari was right, but ... well, when Yukari glanced into the mirror herself, "Woah," she stood straight as a pole. A pole with cowlicks on the top.

Yukari sat down next to Mitsuru, who began to calmly brush her hair. Cowlicks curled down, sprang up. Boing~ Boing~ But they came back a little less with each stroke. She didn't pay that much attention to the cowlicks though. No, for better or for worse she found herself admiring Yukari's white neck, shoulders, the pink straps and silk of her nightie. To Mitsuru, Yukari's nightgown was just the kind of cute thing she wanted to wear, but didn't believe she could.

The smooth, regular rhythm of bristles through hair was calming. Yukari's stiff shoulders started to relax, but -- Darkness! She shot up again as the lights went out, then flickered back to life. Mitsuru put a steady hand or Yukari's shoulder, and said, "Calm down. It's just the Dark Hour starting."

Yukari took a deep breath, shoulders slacking again. "Thanks, sorry." As Mitsuru brushed her hair more, she looked around the room quietly when she noticed something a little unusual. There was a tall, narrow necked, deep green bottle with purple saturated label whose words she couldn't make out at this distance; dark, the bottle was almost full with dark, thickly opaque liquid. " ... Is that wine?" Her voice was soft and light with curiosity.

Mitsuru hardly had to think, and certainly didn't even need to look, to answer Yukari's question. "Yes. Do you remember the gift my Father prepared for me, earlier this month?"

Yukari nodded a little, going, "Mm," as she recalled.

"Well, that's it. I imagine he wanted to share it with me, if able, after what was a stressful examination."

Yukari stared at it, nodding as Mitsuru spoke. Wine. Her mind meandered from it to thoughts of fine things, high class parties and people. Thinking about it, Yukari found it suited to Mitsuru.

"In my father's more stressful but less guarded moments, occassionally he would have a glass of wine, saying something to the effect of, 'There are times when you need a drink.' When he was here still, I didn't truly understand, but with things the way they are lately ... " Nyx, school, running the Kirijo Group, "I think I have some idea now--"

Mitsuru's word cut abruptly as she noticed Yukari was ... trembling. "I'm sorry ... can we talk about something else?" She said, her voice strained. She didn't want to talk about fathers right now. It was too much for her, drawing back images of her dad's sad face.

Mitsuru felt guilty as she began to suspect Yukari was thinking about her own father. "No, I should be the one apologizing. That was careless of me."

"No, don't worry ... I'm alright." Yukari said, sullen. 'There are times when you need a drink.' Yukari didn't understand it either. Was this one of those times? She looked at the distant bottle.

Mitsuru was aware of Yukari's gaze. She finished taming the other girl's hair and began to brush her own, just a little. "If you'd like, I'll pour some. It might calm your nerves."

"Doesn't it need to be chilled?" Yukari asked, glancing back, over her shoulder, at Mitsuru.

Mitsuru shook her head. "Red wines are fine at room temperature." Technically ideal temperatures were pickier than that, but it wasn't the time to be picky. Besides, Mitsuru drank wine once in a blue moon; her knowledge of it wasn't to any notable extent.

"Well, if you don't mind." Yukari said, giving into curiosity. She'd never drank before, and right now it was a novel distraction.

"Of course not." Mitsuru stood up walked over to the bottle. Picking up a crystal high ball, she began to pour, dark purple liquid almost black, with a tuft of maroon on the surface. "My apologies, I don't have the proper glasses." Mitsuru paused for a moment, then picked up second glass to pour for herself. Getting a few coasters as well, she brought everything back to the coffee table in front of the couch.

The two girls began to drink. The wine was new and unique for Yukari: thick, mature, floral but spiced, smooth and dry like red velvet, and with a long, black fruit aftertaste. "This is good." Even as the wine warmed her, she felt felt chilly. "You know, actually, I'm it's not chilled. It's a little cold in here ..."

Mitsuru stood up to check the thermostat. It appeared inoperable. She knelt down over one of the heating vents. Nothing. "Sometimes the heating goes out during the Dark Hour. It would seem tonight is one of those times." Setting her wine on the table, she mussed her bed by pulling the comforter right off. She sat down again, spreading the cover over the two of them. "There."

With a bit of uncertainty despite her appreciation, Yukari had to ask, "Hey, what if we spill? Will this come out?"

Mitsuru would have none of that though. "We'll just have to be careful. Besides, our comfort is more important than the sheets." What good was a comforter that wasn't comforting them?

"Well, alright." They'd just have to be careful.

Lips loosened, wine poured, cheeks flushed, covers warmed, girls chatted, and all the while the two scooted closer together on that couch until, before they knew it, there was nothing but two layers of silk between the sides of their thighs.

It wasn't all smiles; some of it was dyed with tones of melancholy, but that wasn't painful either. There was a pale softness to even the melancholy that was, in a strange way, pleasant. Liquor in her, Yukari mused aloud. "Hey, senpai, when this is over, the Dark Hour will be gone, won't it?"

Mitsuru glanced aside a moment before looking back to Yukari again. "I think so." Mitsuru glanced aside a moment before looking back to Yukari again. "If Chidori's any indication, our memories will vanish it it." She looked down into the thick liquid in her glass. Chidori had lost a few years of her memoreis. For Mitsuru, ten whole years might disappear. There wasn't anything to be done though, was there? She had to see this through, to settle the past and assure the future. It was a steep price to pay, but it didn't seem as if there was another choice.

"Yeah ..." Yukari agreed for a moment, looking down into her glass as well, but then furrowed her brows. "I wonder, though. Sometimes it seemed like Chidori was trying to remember, like she could almost do it."

"Well, I hope she can. For all our sakes." Mitsuru wanted to think that if even just one of them could remember, it would be enough to get everyone else to recall.

The girls continued to drink and talk until, rosy cheeked, Yukari realized, a little giddy, "We finished the bottle."

Mitsuru smiled. Their glasses were empty, but more important than that, the two of them were full. "We enjoyed it. That's what matters. Even more importantly, are you feeling any better?"

"Actually. Yeah." Yukari smiled softly back, but even so ... Mitsuru's room right now was secure, safe, a stark contrast with the unsettling dream she had in her own room. "But ... Do you mind if I stay here tonight?" She asked, a little bit sheepish.

Mitsuru blushed deeper, but however tight the request made her chest squeeze she didn't want to, and perhaps _couldn't_ , say no to Yukari's request. "It's no problem." She paused. "I'll sleep on the couch."

Yukari shook her hands in a fluster. "What? No. I couldn't make you do that."

"You're _my_ guest." Mitsuru said, trying to assert her will, the fluster spreading from Yukari to herself, though her fluster, she suspected, was of slightly different nature.

The solution, though, seemed natural to tipsy Yukari. If neither could allow the other to sleep on a couch, "Well, let's just both take the bed then. It's big enough." After all, Mitsuru's maids saw fit that she simply had to have a queen sized bed, of all things. "And we're both girls anyway." It made perfect sense~!

Yukari's last words stung, though. Yukari, after all, was unaware of the less than pure thoughts Mitsuru held for the other girl sometimes. The liquor, however, whispered 'what's the harm?' Logially, it wasn't a very compelling argument, but swimming through the alcohol it was rather convincing.

Yukari carried the comforter into bed with her. Mitsuru followed, after turning out the lights. The room was almost pitch black, but their eyes would adjust to see dimly with moonlight pouring through the window. Though there was no formal dividing, they were each on their own half of the bed.

At first, anyway. Yukari felt an absolute fool for it, but with the lights off, the room felt less secure, and she found herself slowly shifting towards Mitsuru, an action MItsuru was tensely aware of. Her eyes closed, Mitsuru was forced into focused upon each little drift of sheets rippling from Yukari's motions. As she drew closer and closer, her heart continued to flutter.

Beep beep! Beep beep! Sudden sound shocked Yukari. "Ahh!" She rolled over right into Mitsuru, who went tense as a board. "Your ... Your cellphone?" Aw man, she felt like an idiot. This was the second time in her life now she'd been startled so badly by one of those damn things!

Mitsuru was speechless for a moment. She could feel Yukari's warmth radiating through the silk of her black pajamas. She found her voice soon enough. "Sorry. That's my voice mail noise." It occured to them both that if the cellphone was working, the Dark Hour must have ended. But that was really at the far back of Mitsuru's mind. Yukari was in her bed, right beside her.

The action was stiff, but automatic, her mind only focused on feel of the feel of putting an arm over Yukari. Smooth fabrics slid between the bodies. All the while, she stared down at Yukari, apprehensively wondering whether she should really be doing this.

Yukari's eyelashes flitted fleetingly, but the warmth of her friend and the liquor felt nice, soft as sunlight on a cloudy summer day. Mitsuru's breath stood still as Yukari nestled her head comfortably into Mitsuru's chest--ThaThumpThaThumpThaThump! She heard Mitsuru's heartbeat; it was racing. Her first reaction was alarm, confusion, she blinked again, quickly looking up at Mitsuru. Even doing so, her head was nestled into Mitsuru. The sound of her heart was panicked, but ... oddly hypnotic.

The just stared at each other, too surprised with themselves to say anything yet. Should she apologize? Explain? Confess? _Confess? Confess what?_

The wheels of Yukari's mind whirred as they rushed at work. Oh god. Oh god. The coy smiling. The blushing. The racing heart. Yukari remembered, Minako asked, ' _Is there anyone you like?_ ' Mitsuru evaded, ' _Even if I did ..._ '

' _Even if I did ..._ '

' _Even if I did ..._ ' The answer wasn't no ... ! All on its own, it fell into place in Yukari's mind. Mitsuru was ...

"Yukari, I ..." Mitsuru was confused, unable to find the right words for at least a minute.

Yukari stared up wide eyed in that tense silence, but it was quickly apparent Mitsuru wasn't going to finish her sentence. "I, think I understand now."

Mitsuru winced. There was no talking her way out of this now, then. She started to begin her painful mental preparations for damage control, but her preparations capsized, thrown upside down at Yukari's next words ...

"Are you okay?" Yukari was stunned by her revelation, but somehow what was first and foremost in her mind was ... concern.

Mitsuru took a deep breath. "I'm alright." She thought. She wasn't entirely sure, but she wasn't hurt.

Yukari could easily read that Mitsuru was tense, though. ... Not only did she have to tread carefully, lest she trample Mitsuru's feelings, she was suddenly thrust into looking at her friend in a new light. She never thought about her this way before. Thoughts stirred chemical reactions in her mind, things were rapidly changing, and she didn't yet know into what. Was this change welcome? It was panicky, it was weird. It wasn't unwelcome. Not yet anyway.

Thoughts rushed by, crossing Yukari's mind, each leaving their marks of footprints behind. What did she think of Mitsuru before? What about now? Yukari was ... open minded, but she'd thought of Mitsuru that way before. ... well, she had admired her body at the beach or in the hot springs, but that didn't count. She didn't think it counted, anyway. And of all the stupid things to cross her mind, she found the dumbest one of all: the notion that she was going to risk her life fighting a supposedly undefeatable monster in but a few days, and _she was still a virgin._ Damn it, Junpei!

At least one thing was certain, though. She trusted Mitsuru. ... Wow, when they first met, Mitsuru seemed a superior acting and distant woman to Yukari ... She would have never imagined that she would someday end up here in her arms, in her bed, trying to sort out both their feelings.

Mitsuru couldn't take the silence any longer. Her eyes darted away. "I'm sorry--"

' _Wait, no, don't feel bad!_ ' Damn it, silence and hesitation could say and do as much as words and actions. Yukari scrambled mentally for anything that would keep her friend from hurting. Her hands braced on Mitsuru's shoulders. Without thinking, she pulled herself quickly up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Wait! Ahh! What was she doing!? Automatically (tispily), she darted back down into the comfort of Mitsuru's bosom--Ahh! Ahh! What was she doing _now!?_ Only as she started staring at the pale skin of Mitsuru's neck as some sort of weird compromise did she realize how ridiculous she was being, and she just started nervously laughing at herself.

The fleeting warmth of Yukari's lips made Mitsuru's cheeks flush and flare red, yet froze her solid. At least until Yukari was laughing. Breaking nervous tension, Mitsuru's laughter cracked out nervously as well, and they both laughed away the panic. They had yet to move an inch further or closer together, but they felt closer together suddenly, staring, red faced, up at one another. In that moment, Mitsuru realized her confusion; it wasn't the Yukari in dream she wanted. That Yukari was all wrong. She wanted the Yukari that was in her arms right now, and though it burned her cheeks redder to even think it, things seemed promising in this moment. "I think I've finally figured it out ... "

Yukari's nervous laughter bubbled over a little again. "You mean you only _just_ figured it out?" ' _Does that mean I beat it her to it?_ ' By a minute or two, yes. She giggled flightily.

Mitsuru gave a half hearted hmph. "Are you teasing me?"

"Yes." Yukari answered, smirking.

Mitsuru stared down moonily at Yukari. There wasn't much she could say to that. Suddenly, a tipsy question bubbled to the surface. " ... May I kiss you?" Yukari kissed Mitsuru. It was only fair~!

"What?" Yukari jolted a tiny bit in Mitsuru's arms. "You're not supposed to ask. You're just supposed to do it."

"But ... Then, how am I supposed to know it's alright?" Mitsuru sheepishly cast her gaze aside, contemplating how she was apparently worse at this than she even imagined.

"It's not that easy to kiss someone. I don't want you to I'll stop you." She spoke quickly, in a slight fluster.

"You kissed me before before I could stop you." Mitsuru reasoned, bewildered.

"That's because you totally wanted it." Yukari: 2, Mitsuru: 0.

"Alright then." If that was how the game was played ... Yukari could hear Mitsuru's heart accelerate for in an instant before Mitsuru cupped her cheek, tilting her head up, pulling her ear from her breast.

Woah. Yukari did kind of walk into this without really thinking about it. As Mitsuru's lips lowered towards hers, though, she ... didn't stop her. She simply closed her eyes and accepted a quick, crisp peck of warm lips. They could feel the other's warm breath on their lips as their faces stayed mere centimeters apart. Their hearts fluttered tipsily, but ... it wasn't satisfying. Tensions melted; it wasn't clear who started first, but before long lips were parting, hot, wet tongues trailing tastes of the other's lips (the faint aftertaste of currants, grapes, the air of alcohol), lashing light, coincidental licks along the other girl's tongue, and, finally, twisting with each other between sealed lips until they both needed to gasp for breath.

Mitsuru trembled, thighs shifting antsily as she stared at Yukari in her arms, who nestled into Mitsuru's bosom again, unable to look up at Mitsuru right now lest her cindered cheeks be reduced to embers. They had just crossed a line, and it was _thrilling._ Listening to Mitsuru's elevated heart slowly calm, Yukari's own palpations slowly fell in line with Mitsuru's. She nuzzled her head in Mitsuru's chest, trying to find the spot where she couldmost clearly hear that warm rhythm, when-- ... poke. She felt something less soft, more firm, and faintly pointed against her cheek: Mitsuru's nipple was standing out erect beneath her pajamas. Yukari felt flaring heat in her cheeks, but she snickered.

If Mitsuru wanted Yukari to stop ... she'd stop her, and Yukari didn't think there'd be any hard feelings about that, so she ... tested the boundaries beyond the line they'd crossed, tip of her finger strumming that nub of flesh through silk. "Yu-Yukari?"

Well, 'Yu-Yukari' wasn't a no~ Yukari strummed away, each flick along her nipple flitting and flickering through her. She could feel Mitsuru's own hands beginning to wander, stroking down her back. Yukari's hips pushed forward with a small squeek as Mitsuru's hand slipped beneath the short hem or her pink nighty, petting her thighs, squeezing her bottom. Yukari's hips rolled back into Mitsuru's touch all on their own.

With neither stopping, the girls kept going. Circling her lips around Mitsuru's other nipple, she hotly exhaled, heat washing through the black silk and over Mitsuru's nipples, into her breasts. The red head's breath shuddered into the air. Saliva soaked silk, smooth, wet, hot as Yukari licked and nipped through fabric fibers, finally eliciting a gasp from Mitsuru at that gentle bite. Her flitting fingers pulled away, but with Yukari tonguing at her, even through fabric, Mitsuru couldn't complain at all.

Mitsuru squirmed an arm flush between their bodies, firmly pressed together, and stroked the pink silk of Yukari's nightgown smoothly up her stomach, cupping under her breast and lightly stroking over one, rolling the whole mound in her hand. Yukari hummed faintly, vibrations of her voice reverberating shallowly into Mitsuru's chest, and then, pop, pop, pop~ Her hands fiddling with the holes, the buttons on Mitsuru's black silk pajamas came undone one by one.

They couldn't stop now. Neither wanted to, no, what they wanted was to keep going, to feel more, to continue their tipsy tryst. Rolling on top of Mitsuru, Yukari sat up, shedding the sheets, cool air washing over their over heating bodies. They shivered at the contrast. Mitsuru's hands grabbed the hems of Yukari's nightie and pulled up. Yukari helped, pulling it over her head and tossing it away, leaving bare save for her panties. Pulling Mitsuru's pajamas wide open, Yukari came back down on the girl, her weight pressing Mitsuru into the mattress as she laid on top of her, warm, finally the smooth skin of their torsos was touching without anything in the way. Yukari, pressing her ear to Mitsuru's bare breast, could feel her chest rise and fall, hear the beat beat beat of her heart, see the jiggle of tiny squirms carry through cleavage as she pinched Mitsuru's nipples, squeezed and rolled her breasts ...

Mitsuru tangled her fingers in Yukari's hair as the girl started licking the skin of her breasts. Hot one instant, cold the next, and always wet. She ruffled Yukari's hair, massaged her scalp, sending encouraging tingles down the girl's neck as Yukari began darting her tongue around Mitsuru's nipple before pulling it into her mouth. As Yukari suckled, light headed Mitsuru felt as if she was being pulled up aloft, carrying Yukari up with her like a balloon ... up, up ...

... Up, up and over. Mitsuru rolled on top of the other girl, who let out a giggling "Eep," after the audible pop of Mitsuru's nipple pulling free from her suckling lips. The red head brought her lips down to Yukari's for another passionate kiss, this their stomachs and breasts pressed, squeezed together. Through panties and pajama bottoms, the girls thighs tangled, their sexes sliding over skin and fabric, grinding against the other girl's thighs with vigorous excitement.

The grinding sent waves up and down their bodies. Legs trembled, bodies squirmed, hands explored, petting, squeezing each other's curves. Those waves carried up to their mouths and out, moans and gasps muffling between sealed lips, twisted tongues. The sounds of each girl's pleasure was swallowed by the other, save for when they came out clear between breaths for air.

A clear thread of saliva dipped, slipped, snapped onto Yukari's chin as Mitsuru broke the kiss. Her ragged breath was husky as she licked and nibbled down Yukari's neck. Each hot breath re-heated the quickly cooling saliva on her skin. And that was most certainly not the only thing wet right now; as their hips humped, each girl could feel the wet, humid heat of the other's sex through their dampening cloth; damp, smooth silk glided their grinding.

Yukari shivered beneath Mitsuru, feeling her skin, most of all her soft breasts, sliding down her body as Mitsuru went lower. More drunk with pleasure than tipsy, even, Mitsuru hooked her fingers into Yukari's panties and pulled them down, with some help from Yukari's willing legs. Yukari's hands streached downwards towards the elastic of Mitsuru's pajama bottoms, but the black ruffles of elasticed silk were beyond her. With a _small_ whine, she cupped Mitsuru's breasts in her hands, squeezing softly in self consolation.

Mitsuru smiled cheshire at Yukari's stretching arms, and did the deed in their stead. She slipped silk off her thighs, calves, tossed her bottoms and loose, hanging top aside. Mitsuru had nothing beneath her bottoms.

Sitting up, straddling and squeezing a thigh between her own, Mitsuru's sex's silken lips wetly slicked along Yukari's thigh, sliding smoother as her juices spread with each slip of her hips. Yukari's fingers rolled breasts, tweaked nipples; Mitsuru's breath trembled between gasps, but she forced a little clarity into her mind, looking down as her fingers sunk between Yukari's legs, softly sliding back and forth against Yukari's lower lips, eliciting a moan and rise of hips from the Yukari. The pleasure came back to Mitsuru as those raised hips pressed Yukari's thigh firmer into Mitsuru's grinding sex.

Mitsuru's fingers, wet with Yukari's juices, primed themselves, a finger tip pressing into Yukari's folds shallowly. She looked down at Yukari, waiting for something, giving the girl an opportunity to shake her head.

Yukari nodded. She shifted her hips gently forward, wet walls squeezing around Mitsuru's penetrating digit. Gently, Mitsuru started sliding her whole body, her sex and fingers with it, back and forth, her thumb sliding up and down the converging apex of Yukari's lower lips.

At Mitsuru's forward most, the base of her thumb pressed, unhooded, slid over and rubbed Yukari's clit, forcing a cry out from Yukari's lips. Startled, Mitsuru stopped, staring down at Yukari, looked very self concious suddenly. Mitsuru worried for a moment before, smoothly sliding her thumbs around Mitsuru's nipples in circles, Yukari sealed her lips shut and started bucking her hips back and forth in short little juts. With each motion, each rub of her clit against Mitsuru's hand, loud, muffled moans came through her locked lips, but still, it was less loud than the prior cry.

Worries allayed, Mitsuru rocked her hand and hips in synch with Yukari until, wet walls squeezing Mitsuru's long finger, her hips thrust and locked up, pushing Mitsuru higher. From shoulders to hips, the contour of Yukari's back arched up; the floating world blurred with bliss. Small trails of Yukari's juices squirted onto Mitsuru's hand as her hips shudder, and as the waves of climax closed, Yukari's back suddenly slacked, sank into the mattress, as if she were a puppet cut its strings. Her floatily light head, however, was still hazily drifting down from climax.

But Yukari still had to return the favor, didn't she? With unsated hedonism, Mitsuru pulled one of the hands at her breasts down to her own sex; forcing herself to sober up from her ecstacy just a little, Yukari pressed her hand firm to Mitsuru's venus mound, a finger strumming about in a haze, searching for a spot that could make Mitsuru _sing,_ and when she found it, Mitsuru clapped a hand over her mouth. crying out behind wet fingers that dizzily wafted the aroma of Yukari's musk. Satisfied and spent, Mitsuru slumped, tilted and toppled over Yukari, who squirmed into the nook of Mitsuru's arms and nestled once more into Mitsuru's bare bosom, listening to her heartbeat slow from the rushing heights of pleasure.

For a while, their arms around each other, they just cuddled and caught their breath. "I almost can't believe ..." ' _that we went **all the way** ,_' was what Yukari tried to say, but she trailed off into a dreamy sigh.

"This," Mitsuru took a steadying breath, "changes things, doesn't it?"

"I'm pretty sure, yeah." Yukari's voice had a slight whine to it; her thoughts felt slowed, as if they were wading through water, or honey.

"Then, are we?" Mitsuru hesitated; first a kiss, then sex, now a confession, even she knew the order was all mixed up.

"Um. I." Yukari nuzzled Mitsuru's breasts; it was comforting, and ironically gave her the peace of mind to speak her mind. "Yeah, I guess so. You'll make time for me, right?"

Mitsuru ruffled Yukari's hair; after all her brushing of it, it was messy again. Well, that would've happened from just sleep, wouldn't it have ... ? "Will I make time for you? I already do." She said warmly, but then Mitsuru's voice trailed slowly with apprehnsion. "You don't sound, all that happy about this." This was supposed to be a happy thing, wasn't it? Yukari's present lethargic lack of enthusiams aside, inside Mitsuru's chest was a feeling as happily fluttery as a flock of hummingbirds.

Yukari groaned mildly. "I'm just sleepy right now. Come here..." She said, scooting up to pull Mitsuru into her (Yukari's) bosom, now. "Listen." She said, as if it carried more meaning, like 'Can't hear you hear it? I'm happy.'

ThumpThumpThumpThumpThump ... It was warm. Yukari's elevated heartbeat comforted Mitsuru, and ... gave her rhythmic direction that inspired clarity. That's right, if Yukari wasn't happy with this, why would she still be here?

Neither was 100% clear on what they were to each other now; that was something only time would tell. What did they know was that ... They reacted, they transformed.

They slept like that until morning, almost sleeping in too long. They showered, and Mitsuru, dressed in her own uniform, had to sneak to Yukari's room to retrieve hers. They agreed that for now it was a secret to be sorted out later, another thing to look forward to on the otherside of the final battle, another thing neither wanted to forget. After all, you weren't supposed to forget your first time. It was _supposed_ to be unforgetable. They hoped that would work in their favor ...

... And in just a few more days, on the 31st, Yukari, Mitsuru, everyone would promise to not forget ... To not forget anything, especially that cold, yet hot, Winter night in January.


End file.
